Building block



J. FUHRMANN BUILDING BILOCK Filed Nov. 10, 1922 iitv l-zdl Patented July 8, 1924.

l A T E s 7 JOHN runamenn, or BUFFALO, Nnwyoak.

' I i BUILDING BLQCK.

Application filed November To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that 1, JOHN FUHRMANN, a citizen of the United States residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York have invented new and useful Improvements in Building Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a building block and more particularly to a building block of that character in which the ends of adjacent blocks' of the horizontal course inthe wall .are interlocked With each other. 7

Itv is the object ofthis invention to producea building block of this character, the

i ends of which are so constructed. that each blook'may be interlocked and connected with the end of an adjacent block by a mortar joint in such manner that a much stronger wall is produced and in which the wall is self-supporting and permits of resting the wall at its opposite ends on columns orother supports without liability of theintermediate part of thewall sagging or becoming displaced. Y

A further object of this invention is to so construct the ends of the building block of this character that the'same presents no sharp corners which are liable to be easily broken off while handling the same during the operation oferecting a wall and which permits of buttering the opposite ends of the block completely and thoroughly with a minimum number of strokes of the trowel and thus expedite the work of erecting the wall and reduce the cost of the same accord e y r In the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of two building blocks embodying one form ofmy invention and showing the construction of the opposite ends of the same which are adapted to be interlocked with each other. Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation of av building equipped withpart of a wall constructed of building blocks embodying my improvements. Figure 4 is a horizontal section of thesame taken between two horizontal courses of building blocks Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of building block which is constructed in accordance with my invention.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts. throughout the several" views. I

'Although my improved building block may be constructedof any suitable material, it is preferable to constriictgthe same of the 10 1922.. seria No. 600,062.

composition in which the chief elementsare cement and sand, similar to the concrete blocks now in general use, so as to render the same strong and durable.

In its general organization, this block comprises a body 10 which is rectangular and oblong in cross section and adapted to be arranged with itswide side vertical and its narrow side horizontal. At one end this block is provioled on one pair of diagonally opposite corners with longitudinally arranged narrow tenons 11, 11 and on the pair of diagonally opposite corners with long rear. faces 12, each of, said narrow tenons having a short vertical front face 13, a longitudinal outer face 14 which is flush with the adjacent horizontal face of thebody, an. inclined inner face 15 which extends from the inner end of said short face 13 to the inner end of the adjacent long rear face 12, each of the narrow tenons 11 being ver-. 7

tically in line or in the same vertical plane as the rear vertical face 12 onthe corre sponding. sidev of the block. Each of the long rear faces 12 and the face of eachof the tenons 11; areequal in heightvto' one-half of the height of the body. 7 The opposite end of the body is provided on one pair of diagonally opposite corners with compare tivelywide tenons :16 andon the other pair of diagonally opposite corners with short rear vertical faces 17. 7 i Each of said wide tenonshas a comparatively high front face 18, a longitudinal outer face 19 which is flush with theadjacent horizontal faceof the body, and an in clined inner face 20, which extends from the inner end of the-respective'high front face 18 to theiinner end. of thecorresponding short rearface 17. Each of the outer long faces 18" of the widegtenons is equal in height toonehalfoftherheight of the 'body, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The inclined face 1 15 of eachnarrowtenon 11-on one building block is adapted-to 'co-operate with the inclined face 20 of a Widetenon 16 on an ad- 7 jacent block, the wide rear. face '12 of each block is adapted toco-operate with the long front face 18 of the wide tenon on another block and. a short. front face 13 of each narrow. tenon'll is adaptedto co-operatewith a short. rear face 17 on anotherblock,

.In laying up a'wallwith building blocks of tl1iS-Cl1fiIE1Ct81,tl1 several horizontal rows I or coursesofbricks have their opposing horizontalfa'c'es separated from each other but-se ate with each other in the manner above curely unitedibyliorizontalf' bed courses. 2].; of mortar or cement, and the end joints between the blocks in each course are arranged out of line with the end; joints with. theblocks of an adjacent course, similar to the manner in which this is done in laying ordinary brick walls. The opposing surfaces at the ends of adjacent blocks in a course co'-oper described and are securely connected with each other by layersof'IcementQQ' which are applied to the end surfaces of the blocks pre= paratory to assembling orlayingthe'saine in the wall; This operation of applying 'cement or'mortar't'o' the ends of the blocks" so as t'OTCfiQLlSEX adjacent blocksto adhere to each other iscommonlyv known asbuttering.

Such buttering of the ends of the blocks can be effected in this improved building block with a minimumnumber of strokes of the: trowel, it being only necessary to wipe the mortar; covered trowel: once" across opposite edges of each end of the building" block which will serve to apply sulficient. quantity of; mortar or cement. to the end surfaces" of" the blocks which are: adapted" to co-operate' with each other; so that" when assembled with their ends in the proper interlocking position, all of the op- 1 7 posing; end surfaces" of adjacent blbcks will be thoroughly coated; or buttered with cement: or mort'arso that the same'will firmly and rigidly unite with each; other, so that: when the wall made up of building blocks ofthis-character is completed, the same will be strong and durable and sustain a; much greater load than would other,-

wise be possible. 7

It, willbe noted that this particular construction of the ends of the building'block presents no sharp ordelicate: corners which areliabl'e to be broken oflF, thereby-insuring not. only a?" smooth and even wall surface fromblocks" made in; accordance with. this invention; but also insuring a full contact between the opposing ends of two adj acentf blocks'throughout the height'of the same, so that all the mortal: interposed between the same will operate:effectively to strength on the wall which wouldnot bathe case if the endsof the building block' had been broken away:

It'will, be noted that in a wall erected of building, blocks of this character, the pposing ends ofiadjacent blocksin a course;

engage with each other not only-along vertlcalend' surfaces and inclined surfaces, but

also sidewise along; surfaces which arenar-.

ranged in vertical planes. arranged lengthwise of thea wall which enables the mortar or, cement between. adjacent blocks to not I only firmlyqconnect these, blocks, but' adjacent blocksare also, interlocked relatively to eacli other adirection horizontally, as wellas' vertically: This operates to produce up of building blocks of this character is 1' therefore particularly desirable: for "use" over doorways, windows, or other openings in a building, inasmuch as the wall practically forms a truss which will prevent the same from sagging over these open spaces in the walla Such a Wall is: also not liable to collapse in the event that the support im mediately below the center of the sameshould give way, as for instance in the case of afire ina building, which might destroy thefl'oor immediately belowthe center of the wall, in which case the wallwould still remain suspended with its ends resting onits. adjacent end supports;

Although this wall" may be mounted in a. building in any suitable manner, the. same is shown in Fig. 3' as resting with its'lower end or" edge on a steel girder 23 which latter is supported at its opposite? ends in any suitablemanner; As an example of such an'en'd" support for the, girder 23 an I-shap'ed column 24 is shown in Figs: 3 and" 4', which column has one of the vertical edges of th'e'wallbuilt' against one side ofthesame.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3' and 4, each of the building blocks is provided upon one side with a plurality of vertical ribs, 25 which are sodisposedthat upon assembling aplural ity of blocks of this character end to end in a row and in super-posed rows, the ribsof'the" several blocks w1ll=reg1ster with each other and form continuous ribs on the wall channels 26 and forms upright air conduits or' spaces between the building; block' wall" and the brick wall, as shown in Fig. 4:

This brick wall may rest upon the same girder 2'3 whichsupports the building'block wall orpartition and its vertical edges'may be built against the same columns which carry. the girder. When the ribbed buil'd ing blocks and the brick wall are thus assembled, thelatter operates as a veneer for the llllllfillllg-blOCkS and as such. may serve as the outer surface of a building. I'nsuch an organization, the air spacesbetween'the building block wall andythe' brick wall serve as a-heat, temperature and moisture insulation, which will prevent the passage of moisture from the exterior of the building '7 heat, thus rendering the building cool in to the interior of the same and thus'render the interior of the building-dry, Thepre'sence of the air spaces between these two wall sections also retards the passage of summer time and warm in winter time.

In order to still further render the building blocks less liableto transmit moisture, each of the blocks is provided with one-or more longitudinal passages 28, two of such passages being shown, for example,in the drawings, which longitudinal passagesare so arranged that when the blocks of a row are assembled, the passages in each block will register with thoseof adjacent blocks and thus form, continuous air spaces orpassages through the blocks from one end of the course to the other, which insures greater ventilation of wall and prevents moisture passing through the sameas well as effecting heat insulation thereof; 1 V

If desired, the ribs andlongitudinal" air passages on the block may bepo1nitted,in whichcase the block is more particularly adapted for use in interior walls orlpartitions which are not exposed tomoisture or therlnal cha nges. Such a'block having: no air passages and ribs is illustrated in Fig. 5.

Aside from the advantages in this building block, as alcove enumerated, the same is capable of'being produced at comparatively low cost by machinery, such as now commonly used for making ordinarybuilding blocks, thus enabling walls containing the advantages above enumerated to be constructed without any additionalcost.

I claim as my invention:

1. A building block comprising a body which is rectangular in cross section and which has one of its ends provided on one pair of diagonally opposite corners with longitudinally extending narrow tenons and on the other pair of diagonally opposite corners with long vertical rear faces, each of said narrow tenons having a short vertical front face, a longitudinal outer face which is flush with the adjacent horizontal face of the body and an inclined inner face which extends from the inner end of said short face to the inner end of the adjacentlong rear face which is arranged in the same vertical plane, and the opposite end of said body being provided on one pair of diagonally opposite corners with comparatively wide tenons, and on the other pair of diagonally opposite corners with short rear vertical faces, each of said wide tenons havinga comparatively h1gh front face, a longitudinal outer which has "one of its ends provided on one pair of diagonally opposite corners with longitudinally extending narrow tenons and on the other pair ofdiagonally opposite corners with long vertical rear faces, each of said narrow tenons having a short vertical front face, a longitudinal outer face'which is. flush with the adjacent horizontal face of the body and an inclined inner face which extends from the inner end of said short face to the inner end of the adjacent long rear face which is arranged in the same vertical plane, each of said long rear faces and the base of 'each of said tenons being equal in height to one half of the height of the body,

face which is flush with the adjacent hori zontal face of the body, and an inclined inner face which extends from the inner end of said high front face to'the inner end of said short rear face.

2. A building block comprising a body which is rectangular in cross section and and the opposite end of said body being provided on one pair of diagonallysopposite corners withcomparatively wide tenons, and on the other'pair of diagonally opposite corners with short rear vertical faces, each of said wide-tenons'having a comparatively high front face, a longitudinal outer face which isflu'sh with theadjacent horizontal face of the body,"an inclined inner-face which extends from the inner end 'of' said high front face to the innerend of said short rear face, each of 'the'outer long facesof the wide tenons being equal in height to one half of the height of the body.

3. A building block comprising a body which is rectangular in cross section and which has oneof its ends provided on one pair, of' diagonally opposite corners with} longitudinally extending narrow tenons and on the other pair'of diagonally opposite corners with long vertical'rear faces, each of said narrow tenons having a short vertical front face, a longitudinal outer face which nal outer face which is flush with the ad jacent horizontal face of the body, andan inclined inner face which extends from the inner end of said high front face to the inner end of said short rear face, the inclined face of each narrow tenon on one building block being adapted to co-operate with the inclined face of a wide tenon on an adjacent block, the wide rear face of each block being adapted to co-operate with the long front face of a wide tenon on another block, and the short front face of each narrow tenon on each block beingadapted to cogpeiigte with a short rear face on another oc K nally opposite 4. A building, block? comprising a body which is rectangular in cross section and which has one of its ends provided on: one pair of diagonally opposite cornerswith longitudinally extending narrow tenons and on the other pair of diagonally opposite corners with long vertical rear faces each of said narrow tenons having a short vertical front face, a longitudinal outer face" which is-flush with the adjacent horizontal face of the body and an inclined inner face which extends from the inner end of said short face to the inner end of the adj acentv long rear face which is arranged in the same vertical plane, .and the opposite end of said body being provided on one pair of diagocorners with comparatively wide tenons, and on the other pair of diagonally opposite corners with short rear 'vertical faces" each of said wide tenons having a comparatively high front face} a longitudinal outer face which is flush with the adjacent horizontal face of the body; and an inclined inner, face which extends from theinner end of said hi ghfront face to the inner end of said short rear face and said blockbeing provided with longitudinal passages.

u i qs 5:. building. block comprising, a: bodwhichrectangularin cross section and which. has one off its ends provided on one pair of diagonally opposite corners with longitudinally extendingnarrow tenons and on theotlie'n p'air of diagonally opposite corners with long vertical rear faces, each: of saidnarrow tenons having ashort vertical front face,., a longitudinal outer face which is fi ush with the adjacent horizontal face of the body and an inclined inner facewhicli extends-from the inner end ofsaid short face to the inner. end of the adjacent long rear face which is arranged in the same vertical plane, and the opposite end of said body being provided on one pair of diagonally opposite corners with comparatively wide tenons,- and on the other pair of diagonally opposite corners with short rear vertical faces, eachof said wide tenons'having. a comparatively high front face, a-longitudinalouter face which isflushwith the adjacent horizontal face ofthe body, and an inclined innet face whichextends from the inner end of said high. frontface to the inner end of said short rear face, and said block being provided on one side? with vertical ribs,

Jenn FUHRMANN; 

